The advice I give to all new comers on this is go round a few local bike shops (LBSs) and try as many as you can. At the end of the day you are the one who is going to be riding it. Don't buy a bike which you haven't had a chance to ride just on some one else's say so, when you fine the right bike for you, you will know it because it just feels right. If any of the shops won't let you take the bikes out for a test ride, just walk away and never go back.

When I returned to cycling I was looking for a hybrid on a budget, and looked online, read reviews, compared components.

At about £300 there are at least a dozen models of Hybrid bikes that would make suitable commuters. All are (IMHO) slightly compromised to get them down to that price, but all tend to have reasonable/good Alu frames, and scrimp a bit on the components, forks etc.

I had plenty of pre-conceived ideas and recommendations. However a few hours at a couple of LBS and I ended up buying something I hadn't even considered, it just felt "right" the moment I rode it. So make friends with your local bike shop and ride a few possible contenders.

Unless you already cycle there are plenty of other bits and pieces you may feel the need to buy i.e.

None of which need cost a fortune but you may need to restrict your bike cost if running to a tight budget.

Finally there are "cycle to work" schemes available to some employees to help them fund a bike purchase over 12+ months and save income tax / VAT. Worth checking with your employer before parting with any cash.

I am looking to get back into biking after a few years and have opted to go for a hybrid as I spend most of the time on the road.

I've done some research and have narrowed it down to either the Specialized Globe or Kona Dew as I want a good bike but not willing to spend more than £300.

Which should I go for? Or does anyone know any other good hybrids around the same price?

I look forward to hearing any opinions.

Thanks

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To be honest, just ride a few at some bike shops and go with whatever takes your fancy. I don't really think you can go wrong at that price - the components will be low-end but they'll work well. Many suggest not going for suspension forks as apparently they can slow you down somewhat and the cheaper ones can wear out quickly, but I guess it's down to personal preference in the end.

You only really need to worry about buying a crap bike once you get below about £150, when you start getting bikes with bendy plastic brake levers and the like, but for £300 anything you get is likely to be good. Extra money above that will get you a lighter, faster bike but a £300 bike should still be reliable and fun to ride.

Thanks very much for your comments! Ok thats what I'll do, I guess your right - buying a bike off the web is probably a bit stupid without even sitting on it to see.

Prettyboy Tim - I agree with you there, I think I'll avoid suspension forks as I wont need them with where I'll be riding anyway.

Maz - I had a look at the Sirrus but thought the wheels/tyres looked a bit skinny for my liking. Isn't it more of a road bike? Have you ever ridden one? If so, is it comfortable as it doesn't look like it, and what is the riding position like? Thanks

Maz - I had a look at the Sirrus but thought the wheels/tyres looked a bit skinny for my liking.

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Fair enough. That said, though, the 28mm tyres on the bike started to look fat to me, so I went down to 23mm!

ph1mmy said:

Isn't it more of a road bike? Have you ever ridden one? If so, is it comfortable as it doesn't look like it, and what is the riding position like? Thanks

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I've had my Sirrus Elite for about 2 years
Road bike? - in terms of performance, maybe...sort of... -ish.
You can adjust the saddle height etc to your preference. Me, I have the saddle higher than the handlebars. Comfort is all relative - it seemed harsh on my bot when I first got it (had a Dawes Discovery before it), but it's fine now.

Recently purchased a saracen venturer 4, slightly above your budget but they do cheaper versions in the venturer 1,2 and 3. Im quite pleased with it so far and have no complaints as yet. The web sites quote the price at 500 quid for the 4, but my local bike shop did it for about 440 quid.
Saracen have a good web site with all the spec on it, I really like the lock out fork, especially on the hills!